


what if...the first love was the friend we made along the way

by esnoyuuutsu



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: First Crush Baseball, Gen, M/M, Play Characters, implied azayuki, inoaki is real good baby, kinda sorta implied tenyuki??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25825360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esnoyuuutsu/pseuds/esnoyuuutsu
Summary: Akiyama can barely handle leaning on other people when it comes to baseball, what more of when he starts getting a crush on someone a little too close?or: if liber won't give me the honeyworks-esque summer dumbassery i want i will write it myself
Relationships: Hyoudou Kumon/Sumeragi Tenma
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	what if...the first love was the friend we made along the way

**Author's Note:**

> woah! ao3 user esnoyuuutsu writing something that isn't winter or gekka? is the world ending tomorrow????????
> 
> anw did yall know eguchi takuya, tenten's voice actor, voices a honeyworks character now too. [this is what plays in my head when i think about this fic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSfXzOxCkuw)

"Just...don't tell anyone, alright?"

"What? Why would I?"

"Even just standing here, I feel like people are already starting rumours."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Echoing down the corridor are two voices familiar to Akiyama—he peeks his head around the corner, and standing there, as he expected, are Inoue and Washimiya. Inoue's shifting on his feet, his ears a shade or two redder under his bright carrot-coloured hair. Washimiya, as always, seems unimpressed with him, a hand on her hip, one foot tapping against the floor—but is he imagining it, or are they standing closer than usual?

The scene certainly looks like one straight out of a shoujo manga—the two of them, alone, as the sun streams through the trees starting to flower just outside the window.

"I…" Inoue clenches his hands into fists. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Washimiya turns away, a wry smile on her face. "Alright, no need to get mushy."

As she turns, she catches Akiyama in her line of sight and her eyes widen. "Hey there, Akiyama!" "A-Akiyama?" Startled, Inoue steps back, raising his hands like a child caught by a cookie jar.

Shaking her head, Washimiya starts to leave. "That's my cue. See you." She flutters her fingers at them as she walks down the hallway.

More confused than anything at Inoue's outburst, Akiyama scrambles up to him. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Inoue's reply is swift, and he's still taking a moment to settle down. "Normal stuff, like about her managing the baseball club. You know."

Akiyama frowns, but before he can dwell on it for too long, Inoue offers to get lunch together, and he gladly accepts.

* * *

As long as they've known each other, since they were kids, Akiyama has liked being around Inoue. Even outside of playing baseball together, just spending time with him was enough to lighten up his day. Inoue can be a little abrasive sometimes, but Akiyama trusts him—they’d had their differences, but just as Akiyama works to get through his issues, Inoue’s doing what he can to support him. On the field, he was in Inoue's hands; outside of it, Akiyama's just glad to have him back in his life, and he doesn't want to let go again.

So what is it prickling in his chest every time Inoue hangs back to discuss "club stuff" with Washimiya? It does strike him as strange that none of what they were talking about was making it back to him, since he is the captain, after all, but thinking about it any more would probably give him a headache. Even if he were to ask Inoue what was going on, he wasn't likely to get an answer.

In any case, this probably falls under needing to trust his teammates more—Akiyama knows he's not too quick on the uptake, so maybe it is a good idea to leave some things to the two of them. Inoue's smart, right? So is Washimiya.

Besides, what matters is that they're getting along. His teammates, his friends.

Saying that to himself, Akiyama pushes away any growing voices of worry to the back of his mind.

* * *

"Hey…" Uehara, lethargic as ever, sidles over to his usual group. "I heard Washimiya-san broke up with her boyfriend, so I wanted to see if you guys knew anything about it."

Akiyama's surprised. Things didn't work out between Washimiya and her real, proper, professional baseball player boyfriend? Putting it that way did seem a little strange, since she was a high schooler too, but they seemed happy as far as Akiyama could tell, so what a shame, he thought.

Ono all but jumps on the table, voice cracking. "Yeah! I heard that one too, so I thought maybe I had my chance to ask her out or something," he rubs the back of his hand across his face as his nose starts running, "but she said she was already dating someone!"

Unbidden, the image of Inoue's bright grinning face floats up in Akiyama's mind. He shakes his head, and Ono takes it as an attempt at sympathy.

"It sucks, man." Ono crumples back down onto the bench, Uehara patting his shoulder.

Enomoto's already taking out his phone. "Okay yeah, same, but like, she's been posting all about it, and have you _seen_ their pics together? They are _so_ cute and like I can't say I'm mad, but also this is super not fair."

Akiyama can't bring himself to look. Head swimming, he excuses himself, mumbling something about needing to go early as the other three continue to gossip.

"Akki isn't lookin' so great, huh?" Enomoto frowns, still scrolling through photos to show Uehara leaning over his shoulder in disbelief.

Ono nods, aggressively sniffling. "I get that. I get that."

"We should just leave him alone for a bit."

* * *

"Hey, Akiyama, I didn't see you yesterday. Something happen?" Inoue walks up to him, and it's taking all of Akiyama's mental strength not to immediately run away.

"I just…wasn't feeling so good."

"If you're doing the thing again, I swear," Inoue's brow crumples. His tone is more worry than anger, and somehow that runs right through Akiyama even worse.

"I'm not! Promise." Akiyama shifts anxiously on his feet. "Just...you've been hiding something from me, right? If it's really club stuff then I wish you'd talk to me, but..." As he speaks, his voice is getting quieter and quieter, despite his best efforts.

"But it isn't, is it." He looks up, but Inoue won't meet his eyes.

“...I thought I’d have more time to figure out what I wanted to say to you.” Inoue’s scratching his head, air whistling through his teeth. “I just...didn’t think you’d figure it out so fast.” 

Akiyama’s hands are starting to go cold. “W-well! It’s your own personal stuff, right? You don’t have to tell me everything, even if we’re friends, we’re still working on it,” he stammers out, a little dizzy. “I, I’m just, I’m real happy for you. Congrats.”

His eyes are burning, and he’s not sure why. Struggling to wipe his face with his sleeves, Akiyama can’t figure out for the life of him what’s wrong with himself right now. Shouldn’t he be happy? They were his friends, the both of them, but just thinking about it was making his head hurt like a game in the summer heat.

“Wh—? Akiyama, why are you crying?” Inoue’s hands are hovering around Akiyama, unsure what to do.

“I...I don’t know…”

“And happy for me…what’re you talking about?”

Still sniffling, Akiyama looks up. “...you and Washimiya-san are going out now, aren’t you?”

“What? No! Didn’t you hear, she’s got a girlfriend.” Inoue takes out his phone and shows it to Akiyama, flicking through a few photos Washimiya had posted of herself with a dark-haired bright-eyed girl with long lashes and pouty lips, covered in heart stickers and several mentions of dates. “Some other cheerleader from the next school over.”

“So...the two of you sneaking around…”

Inoue coughs, embarrassed. “It wasn’t sneaking around? We weren’t sneaking around. I was just...asking her for advice. It’s not like I know a whole lot of people around here who’ve been in relationships before.”

“Then...you _do_ have someone you like?” It’s like Akiyama’s on a rollercoaster of emotions with a seat for one.

Inoue grabs his cap, lowering it over his eyes. “God, I wanted to be so much cooler doing this,” he mutters, before straightening up and looking Akiyama right in the face.

“It’s you.”

Akiyama’s eyes go completely round, and he blinks, once, twice.

“...crap, don’t tell me I made you cry twice in one day.” Inoue’s attempt at being the picture of a chill, unruffled handsome love interest in a drama melts away in a second as another tear slides down Akiyama’s cheek.

“No, this time isn’t sad, I think.” Akiyama can’t help but laugh as he wipes his eyes with his hands. “But you...you like me…?”

In the afternoon sun, the blush creeping through Inoue’s face is clear as day. “Don’t make me say it again. And I get it if you don’t—”

Akiyama doesn’t even wait for him to finish the rest of the sentence, clumsily throwing his arms around Inoue, grinning through his tears as Inoue returns the hug. To be completely honest, it’s getting too warm for them to be clinging together like this, but neither of them seem to mind.

“I like you too!”

* * *

“Like...man...good for you guys, but isn’t this super unfair?” Enomoto whines, laying his head on the lunch table. “Ino and Akki managed to find each other but we still out here? Single?” Ono and Uehara nod furiously next to him.

Washimiya raises her eyebrows, unamused. “I mean...if you guys are really so desperate, then…” She waves her drink, straw pointed at the boys, between them. “Figure something out.”

Uehara looks at Enomoto, staring blankly as the latter’s eyes widen, batting his eyelashes. “...eh. Not my type.”

“Ouchies—!” “That’s cold…” Enomoto dramatically clutches at his chest, falling onto Ono, who awkwardly pats his shoulder.

They continue to chatter into the afternoon, Akiyama quietly putting every minute away in his thoughts, holding on to the memories of the people he cares for til the next rainy day. He leans against Inoue. Things won’t always be good, but for now, they’re all right here.

**Author's Note:**

> hi i wrote most of this in like five minutes and then just Forgot about it for months until i needed to clear my head from working on smth else for a long while...i have....no fucking clue how to write summer so this was fun but also (hits head on desk)
> 
> if u wanna talk to me i'm at esnoyuuutsu on twt!! (but like...i very rarely talk about summer i'm sorr)


End file.
